Method and Apparatus for Collaborative Selection of Proposals

1. A method of collaboratively selecting a subset of proposals from a set of proposals submitted via a web site, comprising: storing the set of proposals on a non-transitory computer storage medium; solving an optimization problem using an optimization model by the performance of a computer processor based on collaboratively selected proposal attributes, requirements, and metrics, including collaboratively deciding to change the optimization problem after the set of proposals has been submitted, modifying the optimization model for optimizing the project proposals dynamically by a team over the internet; wherein the metrics include formulating objectives used to compare at least two first combined proposals with at least two second combined proposals whose attributes satisfy requirements formulated as constraints.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proposal attributes are numerical.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proposal attributes are categorical.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proposal attributes are at least one selected from the group consisting of a number of person-years, investment required, duration of proposed project, expected revenue, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proposal attributes are at least one selected from the group consisting of technical areas of a proposed project, presence of existing competition to the proposed project, suitability of the project for particular geographic areas, skills required for the proposed project, long-term value of the proposed project, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection requirements are at least one selected from the group consisting of total cost not exceeding a predetermined budget, total number of person-years not exceeding a predetermined first value, number of projects in a predetermined technical area not less than a predetermined second value, number of projects in a predetermined geographic area between about a predetermined third value and about a predetermined fourth value, number of personnel having a specified skill not exceeding a fifth value, a total based on a combination of proposal attributes between about a predetermined sixth value and about a predetermined seventh value, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metrics are at least one selected from the group consisting of total expected revenue, total number of new hires, total number of expected new clients, expected growth in market share, and combinations thereof.

8. A computer-implemented method for collaborative selection of proposals by solving an optimization problem based on collaboratively selected attributes, requirements, and metrics, comprising: preparing a request for proposal; providing a web site for submission of a plurality of proposals; iteratively, evaluating the plurality of proposals using a computer processor to yield a plurality of evaluations; and, distributing the plurality of evaluations, until at least one of the plurality of proposals is finalized to yield a candidate set of final proposals; iteratively, evaluating metrics for the candidate set of final proposals; optimizing by the computer processor with a first combination of the metrics to yield an optimized subset of proposals, and an optimized model of the subset of proposals; performing sensitivity analysis on the optimized model for a subset of project proposals; distributing the optimized subset of proposals; reformulating the metrics by generating a second combination of the metrics; and, re-optimizing the optimized subset of proposals, until the metrics are finalized to yield a final optimized subset of proposals, wherein the metrics include formulating objectives used to compare at least two first combined proposals with at least two second combined proposals whose attributes satisfy the requirements formulated as constraints.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8 , wherein: the requirements include a predetermined lower bound on a weighted combination of scores of attributes; each of the plurality of proposals is evaluated independently by several evaluators; and the evaluations are revised by the evaluators after the evaluators review other evaluations prepared by other evaluators.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the requirements include a predetermined upper bound on a weighted combination of scores of attributes.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the requirements include a predetermined lower bound on a weighted additive combination of scores of attributes.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the requirements include a predetermined lower bound on a weighted multiplicative combination of scores of attributes.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the requirements include predetermined upper bound on a weighted additive combination of scores of attributes.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the requirements include a predetermined upper bound on a weighted multiplicative combination of scores of attributes.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the requirements include a predetermined lower bound on a weighted combination of binary variables specifying the combination of selected proposals.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the requirements include a predetermined upper bound on a weighted combination of binary variables specifying the combination of selected proposals.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the metrics to be optimized are combinations of weighted values.

18. A computer system for selecting a subset of proposals from a set of proposals submitted via a web site comprising: a server having an interface; and a processor communicating with the interface over a first network segment, wherein said processor provides a proposal selection process for collaboratively selecting a subset of proposals and generating an optimized model of the subset of proposals from a set of proposals submitted via a web site by solving an optimization problem based on collaboratively selected proposal attributes, requirements, and metrics, including collaboratively deciding to change the optimization problem after the set of proposals has been submitted, said process including communicating with the interface over a second network segment, wherein the metrics include formulating objectives used to compare at least two first combined proposals with at least two second combined proposals whose attributes satisfy requirements formulated as constraints.

19. The computer system of claim 18 , including: a database management system configured for communicating with the processor over a third network segment and with a database over a fourth network segment; a proposal terminal configured for sending proposals to the website; an evaluator terminal configured for sending evaluations of proposals to the website; a selector terminal configured for sending a selection of one or more of the proposals to the website; and a decision maker terminal configured for sending decisions regarding the proposal selection process to the website.

20. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein the first network segment and second network segment are both selected from the group consisting of electrical connection, optical connection, intranet, extranet, internet, and combinations thereof.